Noori is certainly a strong contender in being one of the greatest bands of today’s generation and are very much at the top

Raw, energetic and full of life…

Nobody rocks a crowd more than noori

– The News, Instep, Apr ’06

The come, they play, they conquer…

– The News, Instep, Mar ’06

Coming out of Lahore, Pakistan, this band of two brothers is considered one of the pioneering forces behind what is dubbed as the ’21st Century Pop Revolution of Pakistan’. Ali Noor, 31, is a trained lawyer, while Ali Hamza, 28, is an Economics graduate from the top business school in Pakistan (LUMS). By moving away from the typical professional paths which society expected from ‘well educated Pakistanis’ like them, the two brothers decided to follow their passion – music. What they ended up doing was to set a precedent for so many others like them, who would usually not even consider pursuing their passion professionally. noori is one of those bands which instantly took the market by storm. In fact, even before going public they had a dedicated fan following awaiting their arrival into the mainstream (this too was a first for any Pakistani act). Their debut album, Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan, was a record breaker for any debutant in the history of Pakistani Pop Music. Not just in terms of record sales, but the band performed over two hundred concerts within the first two years of coming out into the music scene. It is this unprecedented success that paved the way for a lot of educated Pakistani youngsters – read intelligent musicians, to come out of the underground and pursue music on a full time basis. In this sense noori stood out from the rest as a band putting out ‘intelligent music’, with special focus on their lyrical content. They consciously moved away from the well beaten theme of ‘puppy love’ and focused on motivating the Pakistani youth to do something worthwhile in their lives, and for their country. The key theme running throughout noori songs is the need for sensitivity, firstly, towards oneself, to

gauge one’s true desires and potential, and the consequent pursuit of those, and secondly, sensitivity towards society and the external environment, so that one can play a constructive role in its betterment. In a country like Pakistan, these ideas struck a serious chord with an energetic youth who were looking for someone to motivate and push them towards their ideals. noori thus became the first name in Pakistani Music to take upon a leadership role for Pakistani Youth. To back it all up, the band pioneered a host of activities which later became standards for the emerging Music Industry of Pakistan. From garnering a strong and dedicated fan following, using intense web-based interactivity, to conceiving and co-developing month long media campaigns with top Pakistani channels, all the way to being the most prolific, energetic and interactive live performers in Pakistan, noori has established a name which is looked upon with respect and admiration not just by their followers but all throughout the Pakistani Media Industry. Over a span of 6 years the band has put out two albums (Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan – 2003, Peeli Patti Aur Raja Jani Ki Gol Dunya – 2005), they have performed over 400 concerts, self-produced 10 music videos and won 3 major music awards [Two time award winners at the Indus Music Awards :: Best Rock Song Category – Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan (2004), Nishaan (2006); 1st MTV (Pakistan) Video Music Awards 2007 :: Winner of Best Breakthrough Video – Meray Log]. International success is also on the rise as the band has toured Canada thrice in the past two years and once in Europe (August 2008 at the Oslo Mela, Oslo, Norway). Currently, noori is working on

their third album along with a Pakistani fusion-based project called Coke Studio (www.cokestudio.com.pk). Their album is slated for release around June 2009. ‘noori’ is one of the pioneering rock bands from Pakistan. Comprising two brothers – Ali Noor and Ali Hamza, the band is known for its hard hitting impact in a multitude of interactive experiences, be they audio-visual, live, interpersonal or internet based. noori’s emergence into the Pakistani music scene paved way for a whole new category of musicians to come out from the underground into the open. With highly energetic music and lyrics that every youngster can relate with, noori has also nurtured a dedicated fan base for itself – a phenomenon which has really picked up in the Pakistani musical scene ever since. This unprecedented support has been strengthened with a highly interactive rapport (a la internet and fan-clubs) between the band and their dedicated listeners/fans. To top it all, noori is known as one of the most energetic and entertaining live acts to have ever hit the Pakistani music scene. The experience of a noori show is a rush of adrenaline that comes from the heart! No wonder they have performed over 375 shows since they went public in 2003. With 2 albums out (Suno Ke Mein Hun Jawan – 2003 and Peeli Patti Aur Raja Jaani Ki Gol Dunya – 2005) and 10 videos aired (more than half of which have been made by the band itself), noori is definitely a creative name which is respected in the Pakistani music industry and loved by thousands worldwide.